June 12, 2025

Can Outdoor Pollution Affect Indoor Air? New Study from the University of Utah Says: It Depends.

We spend about 80% of our time indoors, often assuming the air inside is clean. However, new research from the University of Utah, co-led by TELLUS co-founder Dr. Kerry Kelly, reveals that outdoor pollution doesn’t always stay outside.

Over 18 months, researchers used TELLUS AirU air quality monitors across the University of Utah’s Salt Lake campus to track how various pollution events like wildfires, temperature inversions, and dust storms affect indoor air. Here’s what they discovered:

Inversions and dust typically remain outside.
Wildfire smoke, however, can find its way in — especially during peak fire season and in buildings that use air-side economizers.
The type of HVAC system in place matters, and better air filters can make a big difference.

As we enter another wildfire season, this research is a timely reminder: the air inside your home, office, or classroom may not be as protected as you think.

“The good thing is it’s a very solvable problem ... Even simple solutions like portable air filters do a great job.”

Dr. Kerry Kelly

This work highlights a key point we emphasize at TELLUS: You can’t fix what you can’t see. Understanding how air moves and changes is the first step to protecting the people inside.

Check out the full study in the June issue of Building and Environment, or learn how TELLUS turns invisible risks into visible, real-time insights.

Don’t wait for the smoke to settle. Get visibility into your air quality today.

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